The 99th edition of the Japan Swimming Championships will open on the 4th at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Koto-ku, Tokyo.

The tournament to determine the best swimmer and Japan will serve as the selection process for the Japan representative for the World Championships to be held in Fukuoka City in July, and a high-level race is expected. The condition for a representative offer in an individual event is to break the record set by the Japan Swimming Federation for this World Championship and finish in the top two in the final race.

On the first day of the Games on the 7th, Rikako Ikee will compete in the women's 2-meter butterfly.

Her specialty is butterfly, and she aims to represent her country in an individual event for the first time since the 4 Asian Games.

Ikee had been in poor form since last autumn because he was unable to practice as much as he wanted, but since the beginning of this year, he has gradually improved his condition after winning the tournament in February for the first time in a long time.

Before the tournament, Ikee said, "I don't have a lot of confidence, but I hope I can prepare myself as an athlete."

This is Japan my first tournament as a member of society, and it will be interesting to see if I can return to the national team with a new start.

In the women's 100-meter individual medley, Yui Ohashi, who won the gold medal in this event at the Tokyo Olympics, will compete.

Following Ohashi is Naeda Nae. It will be interesting to see how far the 2018-year-old high school sophomore can go to become a gold medalist.

The men's 2-meter individual medley will feature Daiya Seto, who has won gold at the World Championships in the past.

I have been feeling the strength of the high-altitude training camp in the United States, and I have high expectations for how far I can put in a good time.

It will also be interesting to see if Honda, who made the national team in this event last year, can show his strength again this time and earn the right to represent Japan for the second year in a row.

NHK will broadcast the tournament on general television from 200:16 p.m. on the 2th.

What is the attention of Olympic gold medalist Hagino?

We asked Kosuke Hagino, who won the gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley, also known as the "King of Swimmers" at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, about the points to pay attention to in this Games, who will be commentating on NHK's live broadcast.

First of all, regarding the positioning of the Japan Championship when he was an active player, Mr. Hagino said, "This is a tournament that serves as a selection for the national team and is a high priority for the year. The players' desire to 'make a decision here' creates a unique atmosphere."

This year's event will also serve as the selection for the Japan team for the World Championships to be held in Fukuoka City in July, and in the individual events, the top two finishers who break the record set by the Japan Swimming Federation in the final will be selected as the national team. Mr. Hagino explained the point of interest, saying, "Even if you focus on the ranking of the race, such as the battle for second place, it will be exciting."

Another race to watch was the men's 1-meter individual medley. As for Daiya Seto, who once competed with Mr. Hagino, I am looking forward to seeing how many seconds he gets.

One of his rivals was Honda Tou, who had made the national team in this event last year, but he expects the success of university and high school athletes, saying that "there are plenty of opportunities for other athletes as well."

With the Paris Olympics about one year away, Hagino hopes that athletes will look not only at home but also at the world.

Hagino pointed out, "At the world level, high school athletes set world records." Based on the current situation where young players such as Summer Mackintosh of Canada, David Popovich of Romania, and Léon Marchand of France are on the rise in the world, he suggested that "we should also look at it from the perspective of Japan in the world."

Referring to the success of the Japan National Team in the Major League Baseball and the WBC = World Baseball Classic, which he has been watching a lot, he said, "The WBC was even more excited by the victory over the United States, and I hope that swimming will be the same."